Forestry Machines Research Articles

Ergonomic design of large forestry machines : Hansson, J.E.Int J Indust Ergonomics, 1990, 5.3, 255–266, 36 refs

Ergonomic design of large forestry machines : Hansson, J.E.Int J Indust Ergonomics, 1990, 5.3, 255–266, 36 refs

Ergonomic design of large forestry machines

Since 1967, the ergonomic design of large forestry machines has been the subject of continuous study. Ergonomic guidelines have been developed and successfully introduced to the manufacturers of the machines and to the forest industries. Manufacturers have implemented comprehensive ergonomic improvements. Operator workspace, visibility, lighting, operator's seats, mounting and alighting, cab climate, and service of machines have been improved. Noise and vibration levels have been reduced. The risk of accidents is slight. In many respects, the ergonomic standard is now good. Increasing mechanization is posing new problems, however. Operators of forestry machinery are being afflicted by overload injuries to the neck, arms, and cervical spine. The main causes of these injuries are probably excessive periods of sitting, excessive work intensity during work in fixed, ergonomically inappropriate positions, and repetitive, short-cycle movement patterns. Ergonomic improvements in equipment design (particularly controls) and work organization are proposed in this report.

A special problem of large scale forest management

The continuously growing need for forestry products and the limited availability of forests have raised the question of how best the forest economy should be managed. In what follows, it will be assumed that a group of cellulose factories will be built in a forest region of a country, where the forest will be cultivated, solely with the needs of the factories in mind. Since large forestry machines will be used, a selective felling of tress will not be possible; a machine removes all the trees from an area being harvested. After that, new trees are planted immediately. This obviously necessitates the forest being divided into smaller subforests, which produce raw material for the factories in a sufficiently continuous manner. the optimal dimensioning of such a system of forests in the steady state is discussed. The basic difference from present practice is the assumption that the time needed for the transportation of wood is negligible; the cost aspect is not considered in this paper.